Employing people in your retail business

Introduction

Retail business finances

Introduction

Retailing and the law

Introduction

  • Selling fireworks

    Fireworks retailing rules and responsibilities for businesses in Northern Ireland including how to apply for a licence to sell fireworks legally and safe storage.

  • Customer protection

    An introduction to the rights customers have when buying goods or services from you including the right to complain and protection from unfair contract terms.

  • Age-restricted sales

    Rules and regulations for selling age-restricted products and services, including tobacco and alcohol, as well as steps to prevent underage sales.

  • Returns and refunds, warranties and complaints

    Customers' legal rights to return goods, receive refunds for goods, complain about unsatisfactory goods and make claims under guarantees and warranties.

  • Consumer credit

    An overview of the rules about consumer credit and whether your business needs a consumer credit licence from the Financial Conduct Authority.

  • Consumer contracts

    Rules governing contracts between traders and consumers including the information that consumers must receive before a sale and cooling off periods.

  • Seasonal and Sunday trading

    How businesses can adapt to peak trading seasons and comply with Sunday trading regulations.

  • Fair trading, accurate descriptions and Trading Standards

    An introduction to fair-trading laws, accurate descriptions and the role of Trading Standards and how the rules apply to your business and what you must do.

  • Product labelling and packaging

    Manufacturers and retailers must respect laws on packaging and labelling before trading their products.

  • Weights and measures

    The law applying to the supply and sale of goods (including food and drink) by weight or other measures such as volume or length.

  • Pricing information

    Guidance for traders on the regulations covering selling price information they provide to consumers to prevent misleading them.

Retail businesses and the environment

Introduction

Your retail premises

Introduction

Improving your retail business

Introduction

  • Grow your retail business

    Find out how to improve your retail business, attract more customers and grow your sales through tactics like visual merchandising and online retail.

  • Visual merchandising for your retail business

    How to use visual merchandising to promote your retail business and products, attract customers and drive sales.

  • Retailing: 5 ways to improve your business

    Retailing moves fast - can you move faster to beat the competition and drive new sales?

  • Advertising

    Why every business should consider the possible benefits of advertising, how to get the most from it, types of advertising and the pros and cons of each.

  • Branding for your business

    What branding is, how to create and manage a brand and how it can help improve your business by communicating your values to stand out from competitors.

  • Northern Ireland business networks

    Find Northern Ireland business networks for local guidance, business opportunities, improvement and success

  • Negotiating supplier contracts

    Best practice tips and strategies to help you prepare for and conduct successful supplier contract negotiations.

  • Social media best practice for business

    Social media advice for businesses looking to set up, evaluate, manage or improve their social media campaigns across a range of channels.

  • Create an online shop

    The key issues to consider when creating an online shop and selling your products and services online, including the benefits and how to get started.

Getting started in retail

Introduction

  • Start a retail business

    An overview of starting a retail business in Northern Ireland, looking at the challenges, the support available and the possible rewards

  • 600 small business ideas

    Detailed guides on over 600 small business trades and sectors for start-up research, market trends and sector regulations

  • Set up a pop-up shop

    How to set up a pop-up shop in Northern Ireland, explore new market opportunities and improve sales.

  • Buy a franchise

    What franchising is, how to find and assess franchise opportunities and how to buy a franchise.

  • Buy an existing business

    Advantages and disadvantages of buying an existing business including how to assess and value it.